


Yellow & Blue

by apostapal



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:46:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27264460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/apostapal/pseuds/apostapal
Summary: Jack Morrison has a great life. He runs a shop and spends his days with his favorite person in the whole world.Only problem is he’s not sure if he’s Gabriel’s favorite person anymore...
Relationships: Reaper | Gabriel Reyes/Soldier: 76 | Jack Morrison
Comments: 12
Kudos: 88





	Yellow & Blue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [transwraith](https://archiveofourown.org/users/transwraith/gifts).



> Just a really sweet, dumbasses in love flowershop AU fic for my buddy Eddie. 💛💙

When Jack came in that morning, it smelled like roses.

Admittedly, usually the place smelled like flowers. Floral and herb scents filling the semi-confined space, offset by the scent of damp earth and occasionally their daily use of the coffee pot in the back office. But there was something special about this day. Probably the massive amount of cut roses Gabriel was going through on the counter.

“Hey you!” He called out when Jack entered, waving him over with a pair of clippers. “Come see! I brought in some new colors.”

Jack ambled closer and found the spectrum of rose petals different from their usual haul. Some were swirled between two colors, some in surprisingly vibrant shades of violet and blue. One even looked about as close to black as Gabriel has managed to achieve thus far. Jack gave a soft whistle.

“This your newest batch?” he asked, leaning against the counter.

Gabriel nodded, grinning proudly and holding a bright purple rose out to him. “They just bloomed, I can’t believe how good they look.”

Smiling back, Jack looked from the flower to Gabriel and felt his heart shudder briefly as he reached to take the rose. Trying to recover from the feeling, he cleared his throat.

“They’re really nice, Gabe,” he hummed, focusing on the flower to try and will away whatever wild thought was trying to creep into his head over how soft and warm Gabriel’s eyes were when he smiled. “Just in time for Halloween too.”

“As if Halloween ends around here,” Gabriel quipped back, winking at him as he moved to gather a few of the roses into a bunch.

Jack’s heart skipped another beat. He couldn’t seem to handle the lingering thoughts of affection today, apparently.

Maybe today would work. Maybe this was as good a time as any to just say it.

“Hey Gabe—“

Gabriel looked up over the bundle of roses in his hand, clippers poised to trim the stems. “Yeah?”

He couldn’t do it. He wasn’t good enough.

Jack just forced a smile and gestured to the back of the shop. “I’m going to go check on orders.”

Gabriel let him go with a cheery confirmation and Jack spent the rest of the morning stewing.

They shared lunch—sushi and fresh miso soup—in the middle of the shop later. Seated at the tiny work table Gabriel used, Jack balanced on his stool and gestured to the window.

“Think anyone’s buying their sweetheart flowers for Halloween?”

Gabriel chuckled. “Could be. I can think of someone I’d like to do that for me—“ He cut himself off suddenly, stuffing a piece of sushi in his mouth, but Jack was already gawking.

Jealousy flared in his chest. He had no right to be jealous; he hadn’t told Gabe a thing of his own infatuation and Gabriel was free to like anyone he chose even if he had. But it just… didn’t seem fair.

“I’m sure they would if you asked,” he ventured quietly.

Gabriel laughed and shook his head. “Ah, they don’t see me like that,” he remarked, wistful in a way that made Jack’s heart hurt. Who could possibly turn Gabriel down?

“Have you told them..?”

Gabriel shook his head, pausing to look at the bright blue hydrangea next to their table fondly before glancing back at Jack. “It would be… awkward,” he explained.

“Do I know them?”

“Yeah,” Gabriel replied, then laughed. “Why do you wanna know?”

Playing into the act of protective friend, Jack leaned forward on his elbows on the table. “So I can judge them! Is it Gerard? He’s married, Gabe,” he feigned scolding and Gabriel laughed.

“No!” He huffed. “Now I’m definitely not telling you!”

Jack pointed his chopsticks at him. “You will,” he insisted, “I’ll get you to crack.”

Gabriel rolled his eyes. “Not a chance.”

And, for the longest time, he held up his promise. But Jack noticed things, little things. Things like how Gabriel looked at those bright blue hydrangea flowers and sighed sometimes. Things like how he’d linger over sunflowers and yellow roses and the tiny bunches of bachelor’s buttons they sold to young lovers. How he’d talk almost jealously about how nice a bouquet Jack was making for a customer was—like he wanted so badly for someone to get him something like that.

Jack’s jealousy stewed because of course it did. But worse, his protective streak grew longer and wider. He wanted Gabriel to be happy—whether or not it was with him—and something was clearly bothering him.

But oh, oh how he wanted it to be with him. Oh how it hurt Jack to think of Gabriel with anyone else. How it pained him to imagine Gabriel without him. To imagine his own life without Gabriel.

“Do you ever wonder about the future?” Gabriel asked him one rainy afternoon, leaning on the counter.

“Yeah,” Jack replied, not thinking. “But you’re always in it.”

Gabriel startled a little, glancing at him. Jack could have sworn his cheeks flushed pink. Then he gave a little cough and chuckle.

“Yeah, you too,” he mumbled.

Jack kicked himself for the rest of the day. Damn close calls were going to be the death of him.

Gabriel was going to be the death of him. With his honey brown eyes and sunshine smile. With his warm laugh and the crinkles around his eyes. With his soft lips and warm skin, hands brushing Jack’s while they worked. With his… his everything.

To imagine his friend in a sexual situation was inappropriate. To imagine him in a romantic situation was worse somehow.

At least he could write off his carnal desires for Gabriel as hormones. He couldn’t excuse his desire to spoon him and kiss his neck as just his dick getting the best of him. Couldn’t blame his limbic system on the acute desire to buy Gabriel flowers and kiss his face.

Well, he could try. But that had no roots in survival. Not like he could claim fucking did.

He could just tell him. Just spill his guts and get rejected and pick up whatever pieces were left of their friendship after his misstep. Maybe it would at least make him feel better.

But oh, oh Jack was selfish. He’d rather stay as close to Gabriel’s warmth and light as he could. He’d rather push down his heart’s absurd wants and simply fill the hole with friendly affection than risk being denied any of it. He’d rather have some of him than none at all.

So he held his tongue. He waited. He bided as much time as he could. Because Jack knew he’d never deserve Gabriel like he wanted him, so he’d take what he could have.

In the end, Gabriel’s own pining and sorrow grew to be too much to watch. One morning Jack came into the poor man arranging blue flowers with a dull frown on his face and he felt something in him break.

He could love Gabriel like he wanted—like he needed, like he deserved! He could give him all he had and more! Why couldn’t he have him?

“You ever going to tell me who your crush is?” Jack asked, leaning on the counter next to him.

Gabriel frowned and shook his head. “No… Jack, I… it’d never work out anyway, he doesn’t see me like that.”

Somehow, it hurt even more knowing Gabriel thought he wasn’t good enough when Jack knew he deserved all he could want and then more. When Jack knew he would never be good enough for him.

“You don’t know till you tell him!” Jack blurted. “I can’t see you like this, Gabe. It breaks my heart—you’re breaking my heart.” The words spilled out before he could stop himself. “You’re so amazing and perfect and way too good for anyone and you can’t even see it.”

Gabriel stared at him and Jack clamped his mouth shut. Tried to will himself to die on the spot.

“You… really think that?”

When Jack didn’t die, he just… nodded to Gabriel’s question. He’d meant every word.

“You think I’m too good for… you?”

Jack felt his heart drop into his stomach. But he nodded again, because he did, and rubbed at the back of his neck.

“Course I do,” he mumbled. “You’re amazing.”

Gabriel grabbed his face suddenly. He gave it a little shake, like he was trying to jar some sense into Jack, and then… then he was kissing him.

His lips were softer than even Jack imagined. His hands were rough and soft in equal measure, gentle and firm, so so warm. Heaven—this had to be heaven.

When Gabriel pulled back from the kiss, Jack kept his eyes closed. Afraid. Terrified he’d break the moment and it’d all be fake and unreal and over the second he opened them.

Then he heard Gabriel laugh, breathless, and he opened his eyes. And the look on Gabriel’s face stole his breath away.

“You’re so stupid,” he mumbled, rubbing his thumb against the corner of Jack’s mouth. “You’re so dumb…”

And Jack kissed him again, hard, just because now he could. Now he was allowed. And Gabriel laughed, teeth knocking against his, as he kissed him back.

Blue flowers and golden flowers and bright blue skies. Cool mornings and warm coffee and old books. Gabriel had lingered over so many things Jack never realized he saw him in. Never even imagined himself being half as nice as.

“Do I keep getting to kiss you?” Gabriel asked, only letting Jack go long enough to move around the counter and join him closer. “Can I keep doing that whenever I want?”

Jack grabbed him around the waist and pulled him closer. “Now who’s being dumb?” he teased. “Like I could say no to you.”

And Gabriel, it seemed, planned to take full advantage of that.


End file.
